Spinning mechanism



Patented July 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE SPINNING MECHANISM Alfred C. Jensen and John J. Kelly, North Andover, Mass, assignors to Davis & Furber Machine Company, North Andover, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,291

5 Claims.

This invention relates to spinning mechanism such as is employed in the textile industry and more particularly to the spinning mule.

The object of the invention is to provide means for enabling the spindle and its load, even when unbalanced with respect to the geometrical axis of the spindle, to rotate at a very high speed, to rotate at the varying speeds with the stops and reversals of rotation required in the operation of a spinning mule, all without chattering or vibration.

The object of the invention is further to provide means which enables the spinning operation to be carried on without chattering or vibration of the spindle when a mass, package or bobbin of yarn larger than usually employed is mounted on the spindle.

The object of the invention is further to pro- ,yide a construction in which the foregoing main objects of the invention may be secured and at the same time the spindle may readily be removed from its bearings without removing the usual collar board or bearing support.

, These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partially in vertical ..cross section taken on the line |l of Fig. 3 illustrating a portion of the elements of an ordinary spinning mule, together with a preferred form of the present invention embodied therein.

Fig. 2 is a detail partially in vertical cross sec- ,tion and on an enlarged scale ofthe sleeve bearing construction shown in Fig. 1 and taken on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a top, plan View of a portion of a collar board such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

While the invention in its broader aspects is applicable to other types of spinning mechanism, it is in the form illustrated particularly designed for embodiment in a spinning mule. It will be remembered that in the ordinary operation of the spinning mule the spindle carrying the bobbin or yarn package in each cycle of operation of the mule is required to rotate at varying speeds, to have its rotation started and stopped, and to rotate in reverse directions. For example, when the carriage carrying the spindle is moving forward drafting the roving, the spindle rotates in one direction to place a nominal twist in the roving. The rotation of the spindle then takes place at a very high speed to put in the required twist and when this has been accom-' plished, the rotation of the spindle is reversed for a few rotations to effect the backing off operation. When the carriage moves backward, rotation of the spindle takes place touwind on to the bobbin the spun yarn.

It is important for economy of operation that the spinning mechanism shall operate atas high a speed as possible and that under all the varying conditions of operation the spindle and its load shall in each case rotate at as high a speed as possible. But the spindle with its load, such as the usual bobbin with its yarn mass continually varying in size and weight, is designed to rotate on the geometrical axis of the spindle. It

is practically impossible, however, so to construct passing through the center of gravity of the spindle and its load, and in the case of themule, also through the lower or step bearing. This means that while the spindle and its load are designed to rotate on the geometrical axis of the spindle, they are constantly tending to rotate about the axis passing through the center of gravity with the result that chattering or vibration takes place interfering with the spinning operation, preventing operation at required high speeds and not infrequently resulting in breakage of yarn.

The present invention enables the rotation of the spindle and its load even when unbalanced to take place at any required speed without chattering or vibration and enables the spindle and its load to rotate either upon the geometrical axis of the spindle or upon the axis passing through the center of gravity and the step bearing or upon any intermediate axis smoothly and easily. This means that when the axis of rotation shifts from the geometrical axis of the spindle, the spindle has a slight gyratory movement, but this gyratory movement is effected as a result of this invention without chattering or vibration.

Only so much of a spinning mule is illustrated as is necessary to a disclosure of the presentinvention. The movable carriage of the mule rigidly supports the usual top board I which extends longitudinally of the carriage and beneath it rigidly also the usual step board or support 2 for the usual step bearing 3. The carriage also supports at the front the front panel 4.

The spindles are mounted in a series at the front of the carriage and as the construction is the same in the case of each, only one is illustrated in detail. The usual fallers are provided such as 5 for guiding or feeding the yarn to the bobbin and 6 for tensioning the yarn.

The spindle is shown as comprising the usual steel shaft 1 having a lower pointed end 8 seated in the step bearing 3, having the usual whirl 9 secured thereto and having the usual bobbin seat and clutch l reinovably mounted thereon. Any suitable form of yarn receiver such as a bobbin or cop is mounted on each spindle and upon this the yarn mass II is wound during the spinning operation.

The term collar board is here employed to indicate the support for the upper bearings. of the spindles. In the preferred construction embodying the invention, this collar board is conveniently made of cast iron or other suitable material and in sections and is rigidly secured to the top board I. A portion of one of the sections of the collar board is illustrated and, as shown, it comprises an angle member having a substantially horizontal flange I2, a depending flange I3 which fits against the front face of the top board I and is secured thereto by screws I4, a rear lip I5 resting on the top face of the top board I and at intervals lugs I6 also resting on the top face of the top board I and secured thereto by the screws II.

At each spindle location the collar board above each step bearing is provided with an aperture I8 extending therethrough and preferably through a boss I9 projecting downward from the collar board. This aperture is preferably cylindrical where it passes through the boss, but the essential feature of the aperture is that it terminates in a frusto-com'cal surface 20. The term frustoconical as employed herein and in the claims is not to be construed as limiting the termination of this aperture to one in which the surface is generated by a straight line but is to be construed as including any suitable surface which gradually increases in diameter from the diameter of the aperture.

The upper bearing for the spindle is a sleeve 2| within which the spindle I has a smooth running fit. This sleeve is of less diameter than the aperture I8 so that it fits loosely in the aperture to such an extent that it cannot bind in the collar board under any gyration of the spindle which takes place during the spinning operation. The sleeve bearing 2| terminates at one end, in this case the upper end, in an annular flange 22 which, under all conditions, rests upon the frustoconical surface 20, and at its other end is provided with an adjustable abutment illustrated as a nut 23 threaded to the sleeve. A lock-nut 24 is preferably also threaded to the sleeve beneath the nut 23. A coil spring 25 seated against the face of the boss I9 and against the nut 23, the tension of which is adjustable by means of the nut 23, acts at all times to hold the flange 22 in yielding engagement with the frusto-conical surface 20 and with any required pressure.

The flanged upper end of the bearing sleeve 2| is preferably recessed at 26 to provide an annular cup into which lubricant may be placed for lubricating the spindle in the bearing.

The operation will now be apparent. When the spindle and its load is perfectly balanced, or when it is rotating at low speed, rotation will take place about the geometrical axis of the spindle and the sleeve bearing will stand in the position indicated in Fig. 2. If the spindle and its load is unbalanced and rotation takes place at a high speed so that the spindle and its load rotates about an axis extending through the center of gravity of the spindle and its load and the step bearing of the spindle, a slight gyratory movement of the spindle takes place and the sleeve bearing rocks and automatically adjusts itself to the new running position, the flange 22 rising slightly, against the tension of the spring 25, on the frusto-conical surface 20 and as the speed decreases the spring 20 acts again to bring the sleeve bearing to its central position. Thus under all conditions smooth, free and non-chattering rotation of the spindle and its load takes place whether the spindle and its load be rotating on the geometrical axis of the spindle, on an axis passing through the center of gravity of the spindie and its load and through the step bearing, or upon any intermediate axis. The yielding, self-adjusting action of the sleeve bearing in fact prevents chattering or vibration of the spindle under all conditions tending to cause such chattering or vibration such as the tension on the yarn being spun or wound, the sudden stops, variations in speed, and reversals of rotation, as well as when the spindle and its load is unbalanced. Thus with the invention the spinning operation may be carried on at a very high speed and without chattering or vibration.

When required, the spindle may readily be removed without removing the collar board. For this purpose the bobbin seat and clutch II] is removed from the spindle, the adjusting nuts 23 and 24 loosened to relieve the spring tension, then the lower end of the spindle raised from the step bearing and the spindle withdrawn downward from the bearing sleeve.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A spinning mechanism comprising a spindle, a step bearing therefor, a collar board above the step bearing, having an aperture therethrough terminating in a frusto-conical surface, a sleeve bearing for the spindle fitting loosely in said aperture and having an annular flange resting on said frusto-conical surface, and means acting to hold the flange in yielding engagement with the frusto-conical surface and render the sleeve bearing self-adjusting to maintain non-chattering rotation of the spindle and its load when rotation takes place on the geometrical axis of the spindle, on the axis passing through the center of gravity of the spindle and its load and through the step bearing, or upon any intermediate axis.

2. A spinning mechanism comprising a spindle, a step bearing therefor, a collar board above the step bearing, having an aperture therethrough terminating in a frusto-conical surface, a sleeve bearing for the spindle fitting loosely in said aperture and having an annular flange resting on said frusto-conical surface, a spring surrounding the sleeve and engaging at one end the sleeve and at the other end the collar board and acting to hold the flange in yielding engagement with the frusto-conical surface and render the sleeve bearing self-adjusting to maintain non-chattering rotation of the spindle and its load when rotation takes place on the geometrical axis of the spindle, on the axis passing through the center of gravity of the spindle and its load and through the step bearing, or upon any intermediate axis.

3. A spinning mechanism comprising a. spindle, a step bearing therefor, a collar board above the step bearing, and a sleeve bearing for the spindle yieldingly supported on the collar board and self-adjusting with respect to the collar board for bodily movement with the spindle in a conical path having its apex at the step bearing to maintain non-chattering rotation of the spindle and its load when unbalanced with respect to the geometrical axis of the spindle.

4. In a spinning mechanism, a collar board having an aperture therethrough terminating in a frusto-conical surface, a spindle sleeve bearing fitting loosely in said aperture and having an annular flange resting on said frusto-conical surface, an adjustable'abutment on the opposite end of the bearing sleeve, and a spring engaging the collar board and the abutment and acting to hold the flange in yielding engagement with the frusto-co-nical surface.

5. In a spinning mechanism, a collar board having an aperture therethrough terminating at its upper end in a frusto-conical surface, a spindle sleeve bearing fitting loosely in said aperture and having at its upper end an annular flange resting on said frusto-conical surface and recessed to provide an annular lubricant cup; and a spring engaging the collar board and. the lower end of the sleeve bearing and acting to hold the flange in yielding engagement with the frustoconical surface.

ALFRED C. JENSEN. JOHN J. KELLY. 

